Acts 1:1-11. Theme: “He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.” Exegetical observation. Lk 24:51 reports: “he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven.” Acts 1 reports with more details: v.3 “during forty days” Jesus was appearing to his disciples “speaking of the Kingdom of God;” v.9…
Read MoreActs 8:5-8, 14-17; 1 Pt. 3:15-18; Jn 14:15-21 The Gospel today is part of the Last Supper discourse as presented by John. The first to remember for all disciples of Jesus is what was already inculcated in Dt 11:1 “Love the Lord your God, therefore, and always heed his charge, his statutes, decrees and commandments.”…
Read MoreActs 6:1-7; 1 Pt. 2:4-9; Jn. 14:1-12 As we approach the Ascension of the Lord, the Mother Church presents to us the Lord’s own words on the reality of our future after this earthly life. “In my Father’s house there are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you… Then I will come…
Read MoreActs 2:14. 36-41; 1 Pt. 2:20-25; Jn. 10:1-10. Right in the Book of Genesis, we find Abraham in a pastoral civilization, with herds of camels, oxen and sheep. They were a nomadic people moving with their flocks along rivers where they had grazing ground. Thus the image of a shepherd was most familiar to them.…
Read MoreActs 2:14.22-33; 1 Pt. 1:17-21; Lk. 24:13-35 Luke’s Gospel is centered on Jerusalem. It begins with Zechariah serving at the temple in Jerusalem and the Archangel Gabriel announcing the birth of John the Baptist and ends up with the Apostles in Jerusalem after the Ascension awaiting the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Salvation…
Read MoreActs 2:42-47; 1 Pt. 1:3-9; Jn 20:19-31 Last Thursday, Lk 24 showed us the hands and feet of Jesus, and we also saw Jesus eating the presence of the Apostles. Today we see some additional quality of the resurrected Jesus, he came and stood in their midst even when the doors were locked, and again…
Read MoreActs 10:34a, 37-43; 1 Cor. 5:6b-8; Jn. 20:1-9 While John names only Mary Magdalene going to the tomb early at dawn, and Mathew names another Mary with her, Mark would name Salome, and Luke would name Joanna as a third witness at the tomb. While all the other evangelists would narrate post resurrection apparitions, Mark…
Read MoreOn this day the Church celebrates Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem to accomplish his paschal mystery. There he would be arrested, imprisoned, falsely accused, condemned, scourged, crowned with thorns, burdened with the cross, pushed around, nailed to the cross, would die and be buried. It was also there that he would triumph by his resurrection. Jerusalem…
Read More1 Sm 16:1b,6-7,10-13a; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41. After smearing the clay on the eyes of the blind man, Jesus commanded him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. In many occasions Jesus simply said the word and the person was healed. To the daughter of Jairus, Jesus took her hand and commanded, “Little…
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